Losing skid dumps Tigers out of first place; Ausmus: We're sick of it'

Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer leaves the mound after being relieved as Alex Avila (13) looks on against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning of a baseball game in Detroit, Tuesday, June 17, 2014.
PAUL SANCYA — The Associated Press

DETROIT >> It took losing first place to get a rise out of this normally even-keeled team, and its stoic first-year manager.

Tuesday night was the first time in the span of 146 games that the Detroit Tigers went to bed without the comfort of knowing they were in first place in the American League Central.

An 11-4 loss to the streaking Kansas City Royals put the Tigers in second place for the first time since July 2 of last season. It was back-to-back blowout losses to the team closest to them in the standings, and extended a stretch in which the Tigers have gone 9-19 and been outscored by 57 runs.

“They’re getting sick of it, for sure. Anyone that would go through something like this, especially on a team that’s supposed to win, would get sick of it. I’m sick of it, they’re sick of it, the fans are sick of it. I’m sure you’re tired of writing about it. We’re just sick of it,” manager Brad Ausmus said.

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“I don’t know that there’s a magic spell that can be cast to fix it — if there is, let me know.”

There’s been no magic spell, no way to get the Tigers (36-31) out of the doldrums that have lasted since their high-water mark of May 18, when they had the best record and biggest divisional lead in baseball.

It’s not ‘just a rough patch’ anymore.

“Quite frankly, I stopped saying ‘every team goes through this’ about a week ago. Teams do go through losing streaks and slumps, but this has been a little bit more than it should have been. And the question is, how do you fix it?” Ausmus said.

“Really, for the most part, when we’ve struggled, our pitching have struggled a little bit, whether it’s the starters or the bullpen, or a combination. There’s been times when the offense has struggled as well, but generally it’s the pitching that’s scuffled.

“Somehow, we gotta get that back on track.”

That’s started with the starters.

And the two highest paid.

One of them in his last six starts has compiled 37 2/3 innings pitched, 33 earned runs, 55 hits, 22 strikeouts and 17 walks, six home runs allowed. That’s Justin Verlander, who got shelled Monday.

“Well, and they’re horses. This is now how they normally pitch. You certainly can’t take them out of the rotation,” Ausmus said. “It’s just not an option. The only option is to fix them.”

There was a point, early in the season, when everyone was going well, that everyone was talking about good pitching being contagious.

Is bad pitching, too?

“I hope not. But it kind of looks like it right now,” Ausmus said.

“I just can’t imagine that these guys that are going out there every five days — I know they’re better than this. Clearly they’re better than this. Everybody in this room knows they’re better than this. They’ve set a high standard. But they’ve set a high standard because they’re good.

“You don’t just lose it overnight. I really do expect them to return to form. But it’s been a little slow.”

As for first place?

“I don’t care who’s in first place until the end of the season. Anyone who’s in first place before that, doesn’t matter unless you finish in first place,” he said. “But we need to play better baseball.”